What is beauty?
According to the dictionary, it is "the quality of what is beautiful or that which appears as such to the senses and the spirit." But let's ask ourselves, thinking only about art, if this definition can express the sensuality of pagan and modest Christian Venuses by Botticelli, if it can capture the suggestion of Florentine landscapes filled with Neoplatonic symbolism in late 15th-century paintings, and if it comes close at all to the gravity of the expressionist physiognomies depicted by Egon Schiele. Probably not.
At the same time, it can be said that the beauty of art also lies in subjectivity, stimulated by the activation of both the left hemisphere (logic) and the right hemisphere (creativity). When there is no balance between the two, and between certain unconscious components, extreme phenomena can arise, such as Stendhal syndrome (the disturbing effect in front of a work generates extreme reactions, almost panic), or, in a positive sense, catharsis (which for centuries and for many thinkers, from Plotinus to Schopenhauer, has been considered a supreme way of detachment from the Self to approach the One, God, the divinities); an example of the latter is given today by the slow-motion video art of Bill Viola, who uses basic elements (water, earth, air, fire) to evoke primary emotions that lead to a suspended and detached sensation, between flickering flames like Luca Signorelli's "Demons" and quiet moments like the blue waves of the Japanese Hiroshige.
But if art indeed has this great power, why not enjoy it more, bringing it closer to everyday life and introducing it in 'unusual' places?
There you go: let's start with hospitals."
In 2018, with the project 'La Carrara in Humanitas,' the Humanitas Gavazzeni hospital, in collaboration with the Accademia Carrara Museum, aimed to requalify its corridors by introducing 21 works of art. The goal was to ensure that patients and employees could experience the space differently, conceiving themselves and their relationship with illness in another way; the gazes of the painters, in fact, speak the same silent language of contemporaries and share a timeless dialogue.
Narrating this unique immersive project in the world with careful emotional storytelling was Social Content Factory - Videostrategy® Agency, through a video campaign and web and OOH (out-of-home) advertising. In the video, directed by Nicola Martini, some protagonists emerged from the paintings and ventured into the night to reach the hospital. The suggestion increased with each passing second, and the protagonists of the works themselves became part of the hospital, with the gazes and gestures of 25 works by Raffaello, Mantegna, Botticelli, Hayez, Lotto, and Bellini observing the staff in a silent and conspiratorial dialogue.
"Brera in Humanitas" is connected to the experience of "La Carrara in Humanitas" in Bergamo, but this time Humanitas has initiated a collaboration with the Pinacoteca di Brera.
Once again, Social Content Factory - Videostrategy® Agency managed internal and external communication through the creation of a video, directed by Nicola Bettoni, this time set on a reverse logic: it's no longer the subjects of the paintings leaving the museum, but a patient venturing from the hospital to the Pinacoteca. Here she moves, enraptured and captivated, among the paintings with immortal charm until she realizes she is surrounded by other spectators. After observing them, she understands that they are doctors, patients, and nurses, engaged in an action of mutual listening and attention. In a few moments, thanks to the trick of a painting's gaze, we find ourselves back in the hospital, but along with the patient, there are also the artworks populating the healing spaces: in the Check-Up area, you can rest in the shade of the temple of the "Sposalizio della Vergine," walk towards the nurses' changing rooms flanked by 23 meters of woods and bell towers painted by Bellotto; you can dream in front of the most famous version of "Il Bacio" by Hayez on the 8 meters of the entrance wall, or still feel the sweetness of the touch of the hands of "Gli amanti veneziani" by Bordon in the waiting room of the Fertility Center.
Beauty, which, as Lorenzo the Magnificent believed, is everywhere, like fleeting youth, doesn't necessarily coincide solely with painting, sculpture, architecture, or the abstract charm of poetry. The connection with the territory, which is a synthesis of all the aforementioned forms, is also a form of art: Kaleidos, the Social Impact Lab of Banca Ifis, knows this well. They aimed to promote initiatives with a high social impact, paying particular attention to inclusive communities, culture, territory, and people's well-being. Managing the "Economy of Beauty" project, they initiated a study to scientifically measure the value of Italian cultural heritage. Social Content Factory - Videostrategy® Agency created the video of the same name, curated by Gianluca Elasti, introducing the three components of the beauty economy (Actors, Places, and Support Services) and the estimation tools used to quantify it (machine learning applied to Big Data, Desk Analysis with a bottom-up approach, and Comparison with operators and industry experts). The video emphasizes that the heart of Beauty lies in the historical-artistic-cultural and natural-landscape heritage, leaving a silent and indelible imprint that influences each of us day by day, synthesizing art, history, nature, and culture. Hence, the great success of the 8 sectors of Italian excellence (agro-food, fashion, automotive and transportation, watchmaking, mechanics and other manufacturing, home system, cosmetics, artistic craftsmanship), ensuring continuous innovation thanks to the infinite stimuli and high-quality products.
The economy of beauty has a price, equivalent to 17.2% of the Italian GDP. It will be increasingly important to take care of this immense ecosystem, recognizing its immense economic, cultural, and above all, human value.
The article curated by Isabella Garanzini, Group Head of Storytelling - The Story Group
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